


New York, London...Maybe, Tokyo

by baeconandeggs, storiesinthedark



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAE2017, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 09:01:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10918608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesinthedark/pseuds/storiesinthedark
Summary: After breaking up with his boyfriend, Baekhyun finds himself running into Chanyeol...a lot...and he's not entirely sure why or how...





	New York, London...Maybe, Tokyo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jardinetoile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jardinetoile/gifts).



> Prompt#: 45  
> Side Pairing(s): Jongdae/Joonmyeon, Baekhyun/Sehun (for a brief moment)  
> Warning(s): Implication of cheating and the resulting bit of angst.  
> Disclaimer: The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.  
> Author's Note: I hope you like my take on your prompt! There are a few extra chapters that I'll post after the challenge has ended. This story is unbeta'd, so all mistakes are my own.

### New York - May

Visiting New York was nothing like Baekhyun had imagined it. The buildings were taller than he had expected, the streets were more crowded, and Sehun, his boyfriend of nearly two years, was busier and less excited to see him than he had been every time they had talked about Baekhyun's upcoming trip over Skype.

Sehun was supposed to meet Baekhyun at the airport when he had landed earlier that morning, but just as the airplane taxied to the runway and the captain had given the go to turn mobile devices on again, his phone pinged with notifications. He quickly opened it up to discover two text messages, one from Sehun and one from Jongdae, his best friend. The text from Jongdae was simple, a quick 'text me when you arrive so I know you haven't been kidnapped' message. Baekhyun rolled his eyes upon reading it and shot off a quick response reading, 'Made it, you ass.' The one from Sehun, however, was not as happy. It said, 'Soundcheck for the show this evening is running late. Not going to make it to the airport. Grab a cab to the hotel and I'll meet you at the after party when the show is finished.' He typed a quick 'Ok' in response.

And so, Baekhyun had done just that. He grabbed a taxi from JFK airport to the Hilton in Midtown, and once he had checked in with the hotel staff and had acquired a room key, he made his way upstairs to shower.

Once clean and smelling less like the stale airplane, he flipped on the camera and began a short video. "Hey, followers!" He began. "I'm here in New York and it's going to be so much fun! We've got some trips planned to Central Park and the top of the Empire State Building. And of course our meet-up! I can't wait to see you all! But, first, I'm gonna get ready to go to a party! Bye for now!"

He finished recording and then Baekhyun grabbed his wallet and hailed a cab to 1 OAK. His nerves had him on edge and his anxiety grew as the taxi passed each subsequent street. He fiddled with his phone, checking it for messages from Sehun, but finding none present.

"Sir, we've arrived at your destination," the driver said, gesturing to the building. The man's heavily accented English taking Baekhyun by surprise.

"Thank you," Baekhyun replied. He reached in his wallet, fished out the fare and exited the taxi into the cool summer air.

  


"Name?" the man at the door said in English, pulling Baekhyun from his head space.

He stared for a moment, taking in the man’s finely cut suit and red striped tie. His mind raced as quickly as it could to translate the question, and then he smiled. "Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun. Sehun is expecting me," he said slowly, hoping the man had understood.

The man nodded and looked down the list of names on his clipboard and then back up at Baekhyun. "You can go in," he said, lifting the velvet rope behind him that blocked the way to the party inside.

Baekhyun nodded and walked past the man, who secured the rope behind him. He was excited to Sehun and he hoped that Sehun was excited to see him. They hadn't seen each other in nearly two months and now, finally, Baekhyun had been able to take some time off of work to meet his boyfriend in New York after his latest gig.

He made his way down the dimly lit hallway, the smell of alcohol and fried food and sound of the DJ washing over him the closer he got to the party. He breathed it all in and his heart began to beat faster in his chest with every step he took forward.

Within a matter of moments, Baekhyun found himself standing in the middle of the dance floor. Men and women grinding on each other as the bass line pulsed through the room. His eyes quickly caught the bar and he made his way over, ordering a simple vodka martini while he looked around for Sehun.

"Whoever you're looking for is very lucky," a deep voice said in English from behind him.

"He is," Baekhyun responded in carefully chosen English. He refused to turn around to acknowledge the new stranger at the bar. Sehun was someone and he needed to see his boyfriend.

He finally spotted Sehun across the room, leaning on a table and engaged in conversation with a man. Smiling, he grabbed his drink from the bar and made his way across the room.

"I missed you," Baekhyun said, sliding up beside Sehun and placing his drink on the small cocktail table.

"Baekhyun-ah," Sehun said, turning to meet him. "You made it."

Baekhyun smiled, rushing forward to wrap his arms around the tall, lithe man's waist. He nuzzled into Sehun's chest, before quickly pulling away and looking back at Sehun. "I did. The flight over was just as awful as I could have imagined, but I get to see you now. So, that makes it worth it.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with my rambling," he paused, turning his attention to the man across the table Sehun was talking to. "Byun Baekhyun. Nice to meet you." He bowed slightly and reached his hand across the table, ignoring the blush that crossed Sehun's face and smiled.

"Ah. Yes. This is Heechul-hyung," Sehun said, nervously gesturing to the man standing across the table from him.

"It's a pleasure. He's cute Sehunnie," Heechul said, returning the handshake. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Heechul--" Sehun began, trying to make subtle instructions for Heechul to leave with his eyes, but failing.

"What? Can't I offer to buy a cute boy a drink? Hunnie, if you're going to be with me--"

"Heechul--" Sehun cut Heechul off.

"Fine. I'll leave you two alone," Heechul said, throwing his hands from the table. He grabbed his drink and sauntered away into the crowd.

Baekhyun gnawed on his bottom lip, staring down at his feet. He took a deep breath and then met Sehun's eyes.

"I wanted to tell you. I...I tried to tell you," Sehun said. "But, you...I didn't want to hurt you."

"So you let me come all this way to what?" Baekhyun said voice drained of any emotion. He turned his attention back to his martini, swirling the clear liquid in circles.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

Baekhyun nodded, his eyes becoming glassy. He refused to blink and let tears fall down his face. Instead, he finished off the martini in his glass, placing the glass back on the table, and turned away looking for the exit. "Right. I...I need to go."

"Baekhyun--"

"No, Sehun. No. I can't stay here. I...I..." He froze, his hands falling to his sides and his breath caught in his throat. "I'm so stupid," he mumbled.

"You are not," Sehun responded.

"Yes, I clearly am. I don't know how I missed it."

"Baekhyun--"

"I've got to go. I'll get my things from the hotel room. I...have to go," Baekhyun turned on his heel and began to walk toward the exit. He felt the warmth of tears trickling down his face as he made his way back outside. He waited a moment, hoping Sehun may come after him, but he never did.

  


He lamented how badly he had packed his things as he rolled his one suitcase and one duffel bag back into the lobby, the suitcase in particular wobbling from the odd weight distribution. In his haste to make sure he was not around when Sehun returned, he hadn't bothered to actually fold any clothing or organize his suitcase. He returned the room keys to the front desk, and then made his way over to the restaurant bar.

Pulling up a stool beside a man with short black hair and dressed in a blazer with jeans, Baekhyun flagged down the bartender and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly sent a text to Jongdae with the words, 'It's over,' and then glanced over the menu.

"What'll it be, sir?" the bartender asked, his English tinged with an accent that caught him by surprise.

"Oh. Ummm...vodka martini," Baekhyun responded.

"Right away, sir," the bartender replied, fluttering off to make the drink requested of him.

Baekhyun sighed and placed his head in his hands. Thoughts of a mere few hours ago swirling through his head. He needed to figure out where he was going to go and he needed to figure it out fast.

The bartender returned moments later and placed the martini glass in front of Baekhyun. Baekhyun paid and sipped quietly at the martini. This was definitely not how this trip was supposed to go. He imagined what it would it have been like if Sehun had picked him up at the airport and had been happy to see him. How he would be out dancing and possibly having amazing sex when they returned.

He looked down at his glass and swirled his martini before downing the whole thing in one swallow. The bartender appeared almost immediately in front of him replacing the empty glass with a new one.

"Bad night?" the man sitting next to him at the bar asked.

The Korean caught Baekhyun's ear and he glanced at the man before he looked down at the fresh martini and sighed. "Yeah, it is." He responded, the words of his native language flowing off his tongue.

"I'm sorry and I apologize for my manager earlier tonight. I apologize if he added to your bad night," the man sitting next to him at the bar said.  

"I'm sorry?"

"The man who tried to pick you up at the bar. I was watching him strike out again. He's very good at that and it always amuses me," the man said.

"Oh. Right. Him. I'm sorry, I wasn't even paying attention to him."

The man laughed. "Oh, I know. I watched him fail. It was spectacular."

Baekhyun chuckled. "I'm glad I was able to amuse you," he paused. "I'm sorry if this is out of turn, but where are you from? Your Korean is very good."

"Seoul. I'm here for work. Yourself?"

"The same. I was supposed to be...nevermind," Baekhyun said, downing the last of his drink.

"Supposed to be what? You don't have to tell me, but if you're looking for someone to talk to, I'm here. And bored at the moment." He shrugged and took a sip of the light colored liquor in front of him.

"It's just. I was so stupid. I should have seen the signs. Sehun clearly didn't want me to come, but I insisted--"

"Wait, Sehun? As in the Sehun who just performed at Pier 36."

Baekhyun hesitated for a moment, frozen in terror. He and Sehun had never been out in public nor had Sehun ever made mention of his sexuality and here he was blabbing it all to a complete stranger. "Yes..that Sehun," he said, lowering his voice to just above a whisper.

"Huh," the man replied. "He's never mentioned you."

"What?"

"He's just never mentioned you. Or dating anyone for that matter." The man took another sip from his glass. He'd been nursing the same drink since before Baekhyun sat down, he noted.

"You know Sehun? How do you know Sehun?"

"I guess you could say he's a colleague of mine," the man said. "I see him at events sometimes. We--"

"There you are!" A man in a charcoal suit, with light brown hair that Baekhyun vaguely recognized rushed over to the bar, interrupting the conversation with the stranger.

The man Baekhyun had been speaking with smiled at Baekhyun and gestured to the other man. "My manager," he said.

"What? Who are you talking to Kyungsoo?" the man asked.

The stranger, or Kyungsoo rather, looked past his manager at Baekhyun. He quickly furrowed his brows. "I don't actually think I caught your name."

"I'm sorry. It's Baekhyun, Byun Baekhyun," Baekhyun said, smiling.

"I've just been talking with Baekhyun here for a majority of the night. He's been having a bad night," Kyungsoo said to the man very matter of factly.

Kyungsoo's manager turned around, took one look at Baekhyun, and immediately turned back to Kyungsoo.

"You didn't mention he was the guy from the party," Kyungsoo's manager whispered.

Kyungsoo shrugged and rolled his eyes. He leaned past his manager toward Baekhyun. "As I was saying, this is my manager, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol turned around to look at Baekhyun and Baekhyun chuckled, reaching out a hand to Chanyeol. "Pleasure to meet you, though according to Kyungsoo, we've already met."

Chanyeol groaned causing Baekhyun to chuckled again, louder than before. "Yeah, we briefly did. I'm sorry about that."

Kyungsoo snorted. "No, you aren't."

Chanyeol glared at Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo ignored his gaze.

"It's alright. Really, it's fine," Baekhyun said, interrupting the two of them. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. He noted that Jongdae had responded to his text, and tried to call seven times, but he would take care of that later. "I actually have to get going. Figure out what I'm doing with myself. It was nice to meet you, Kyungsoo. If you see Sehun again, tell him I hope he's well. Nice meeting you, Chanyeol."

He climbed down from the bar stool, grabbed his luggage, and disappeared out of the restaurant and the hotel into the crisp night air.

  


"I need to exchange my ticket to Seoul, please," Baekhyun said slowly to the woman behind the ticket counter of Asiana Air. "As soon as you can is fine. I'm just leaving sooner than expected."

He handed over his passport and the confirmation for his flight later in the week.

"Did you have a good trip, sir?" The woman asked as she began to type on the keyboard in front of her.

"What? Oh. Yes," he said. He fidgeted with the buttons on his shirt, watching the woman type quickly on the screen in front of her. The typing quickly fell silent.

"There is a flight at seven thirty tonight. Is that ok, sir?" She looked up at Baekhyun and he felt the world shrinking around him.

"Yes," he responded. "That's fine."

"Ok. I'll just need your form of payment and I'll have this all set for you. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

Baekhyun handed over his credit card and shook his head, his once neatly styled hair now flopping into his face. "No, thank you."

A few more clicks on the woman's keyboard and he was handed his passport, credit card, and new ticket and he was ready to go. He grabbed his suitcase and headed toward the security line.

After the surprisingly quick process through security, Baekhyun made his way to his gate to wait for his plane. He sat alone near the window that overlooked the planes coming and going, and then he pulled his phone from his pocket. Another text message from Jongdae had just arrived. He sighed and opened up the sixteen messages.

'What do you mean it's over?' 'You can't just ignore me like this.' 'Baek, answer the text.' 'Do you mean it's over with Sehun?' 'No.' 'No.' 'I'm calling you.' 'Answer the phone you prick.' 'Seriously, answer the phone.' 'Are you ok?' 'Why aren't you answering.' 'You're starting to worry me now.' 'Please answer the phone.' 'I called Sehun.' 'He said he doesn't know where you are.' 'Please don't do something stupid.' 'Please don't be dead.'

'I'm alive,' Baekhyun typed back. He hit send and within five minutes, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"You disappear off the grid for nearly five hours after sending a text saying and I quote, "it's over" and then just answer the phone with "hello?" Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Jongdae screamed into the phone.

Baekhyun laughed, a little bit of weight leaving his chest making him feel lighter.

"What are you laughing at? I was really worried! I haven't been able to focus on anything all day!"

"It's just...it's nice to hear that you care," Baekhyun said through small giggles. "I'm sorry."

"You better be. Care to fill me in on what happened?"

"I shouldn't have come. Sehun is doing just fine, but he's seeing someone else. He wanted to tell me, but didn't know how...and I was too dumb to see that he really didn't want me to come."

"Well, that explains why he didn't know where you were. So, where are you?"

"I'm at the airport. I'm coming home. I didn't have anywhere to go and I didn't want to stay."

"Oh," Jongdae said, his voice clearly deflated on the other end. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Baekhyun replied. "I'm coming home. Pick me up at the airport?"

Jongdae laughed. "Fine, fine. I'll see you in what fifteen hours?"

"Yes," Baekhyun said.

"Ok. I'll be there," Jongdae replied.

  
  


### London, or One Month After New York

Baekhyun sat at his desk, yawning as the minutes ticked by ever so slowly. He wanted to take a break, but he had already taken two that morning and knew he would never get anything else done if he took another break. He groaned and slammed the lid of his laptop shut, frustrated by his own lack of focus. Then, he picked up his phone and sent a text to Jongdae before throwing his phone back onto his desk. The text was short and it read, 'Bored! Need inspiration. Help me!'

Restlessness was the best way to describe Baekhyun's current state of being. Since he returned to Seoul nearly a month ago from his very brief New York vacation. He had spent the first few days back in his apartment, ignoring phone calls, not showering and eating as much junk food as he could find.

When he finally ran out of food that could be cooked in the microwave around day nine of his return, he ventured out to the store and found Jongdae sitting outside his door upon his return. Baekhyun grumbled, but let Jongdae in any way. They talked, awkwardly at first, Jongdae being careful about stepping on eggshells, before finally hitting the thesis of the chat. And then, Baekhyun broke down in tears while Jongdae consoled his best friend.

  


Six days. It was six days later when Jongdae finally left Baekhyun by himself again and Baekhyun had felt better than he did before the break-up. Except for right now. Now, he was struggling. His mind continuing to do loops around the same idea and Jongdae, best friend that he was, was not answering his goddamn phone.

As if his phone could feel him struggling, it buzzed, and Baekhyun leaped for his desk to grab it. He could hear Jongdae's sarcasm dripping off every word of the text. 'How can you be bored. You are a YouTuber for a living. You run a travel YouTube page. Take a trip. Go somewhere. Your followers will thank you.'

'Brilliant!' he thought. 'Why didn't I think of that?'

He phone buzzed again. 'You were still thinking about the house fire that was the New York trip,' the text read.

His eyes widened and he quickly sent back a text that read, 'You need to stay out of my head. I mean it. But thanks for the idea.' Then, he sat down at his computer, cracked his knuckles and turned on his camera.

"Hey there everyone!" He said into the camera in front of him. "It's your Baekhyunnie! This video is gonna be a little short. It's kind of a surprise. I wasn't going to post anything today. I know I haven't been doing a lot of actual traveling for a bit. Since my New York trip, right? I'm sorry I didn't get to see anyone while in New York and that I didn't make a video of my trip. I was a mess. You wouldn't have wanted to see me anyway. Well, it's time for a change! Where do you want me to go? Leave a comment below in the place, you know the place, and I'll start planning out my next adventure! Hope to see you around the world!"

Baekhyun switched the camera off, not bothering to review the footage, he brought it straight into Final Cut, threw his opener on the video, exported and then uploaded it to YouTube with the title, "Where in the world is Baekhyun?". His followers would be happy to see him no matter is the video was highly polished or not.

The first comment appeared beneath the video within two minutes of it being uploaded. 'Bangkok' it read. Baekhyun smiled and began his research into one of his fans suggestions.

  


"Are you sure you want to go to London?" Jongdae asked over the sound of a screaming kettle. He flopped down on Baekhyun's couch with a small pint of ice cream clearly stolen from Baekhyun's freezer.

"Yes, we've been over this. I told you last week. London got the most votes on my video, so I'm going to London," Baekhyun said. He pushed himself up from where he was sitting on the floor and heading into the kitchen to attend to the noise.

"You could go any other place on that list. You don't need to go to boring London," Jongdae said, shoving a spoon full of chocolate stolen ice cream into his mouth.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. "My fans have eyes and can tell if I don't go to the place with the most votes...and seeing as I make all of my living by having fans, I'd like to keep them happy. Plus, I've never been to London other than the airport."

"Whatever you say. When do you leave?"

"Day after tomorrow," Baekhyun said, pulling down a cup from the top cabinet. He placed it on the counter and went over to the stove to pour some of the boiled water from the kettle into his mug. Then, he pulled a packet of hot chocolate from the cabinet and began stirring it in the water.

"And you'll be there for two weeks?" Jongdae asked.

"Yes," Baekhyun responded.

"What am I going to do while you're gone?"

"You have a boyfriend. Why don't you bother him for a change?"

"But, Joonmyeon's busy grading papers. It's going to be hard enough to get him to go out to dinner on our anniversary," Jongdae whined.

"Then I'm not sure what to tell you because I'm leaving....and no, you can't come with me," Baekhyun said, interrupting Jongdae before he could get a word out.

Jongdae sighed. "I wasn't gonna ask. But, now that you've clearly stated you won't take me with you, you are officially the worst best friend ever."

"I doubt that. I let you come over while I'm trying to pack," Baekhyun said, making his way back to the couch. He tucked his feet underneath of him and looked over to Jongdae at the other end. "And you can see how much I've packed with you here. Why did you want to come over anyway?"

Jongdae looked down at the container of ice cream and poked it with a spoon. He smiled. "I wanted to get your opinion."

"On what exactly?" Baekhyun asked, taking a sip of his hot chocolate and not moving his eyes from Jongdae. He was acting stranger than Baekhyun had seen before.

"My relationship," Jongdae replied.

Baekhyun cringed. "I don't think I'm really someone to help with relationships, Jongdae. You saw firsthand how my last one quickly went down the drain. And how the one before that was just a bunch of misunderstandings."

Jongdae chuckled and met Baekhyun's eyes. "I...I think I want to ask Joonmyeon to stay around and be mine forever...maybe marry me if we can get to a country that allows that..."

Movement in the room froze, Baekhyun's mouth hung open, and silence filled the space between them for several moments before Jongdae shifted again, and cleared his throat. "Ok. Alright then. Your silence says it all. You don't think it's a good idea. I get it."

"No, no!" Baekhyun gasped, his mouth still slightly ajar. "I just didn't think this was where the conversation was heading. I mean, you grabbed the ice cream from the fridge and seemed a little mopey. And then you wanted to know my opinion of your relationship. I was expecting something...well, I really don't know what I was expecting. The opposite of this actually. I'm not a very good detective."

Jongdae pursed his lips. "So, you're saying what exactly?"

"I think I'm trying to say that I thought you were going to ask me if you should break up with Joonmyeon and I was going to have to tell you, you were being an asshole," Baekhyun said, smiling. "You two are really great together. I'm so happy for you."

A smile overtook Jongdae's face, and he laughed. "Yeah, you would make a horrible detective."

Baekhyun shrugged. "When are you going to ask him?"

"Well, I was gonna ask him on Tuesday, but my best friend will still be in London. So it'll have to wait."

"Why are you waiting for me to be back from London? It's not like I'm involved in your relationship." Baekhyun looked at him confused.

"Yes, but what if he says no?--"

"He won't say no," Baekhyun tried to interject, but Jongdae continued right along in his thoughts.

"And then you're not here and I don't have any place to go. What then?"

Baekhyun sighed and moved to the handle of Jongdae's chair. He patted his friend on the shoulder. "Well, if that happens, you can catch a plane to London and finish out the rest of my trip with me. I'll even come get you at the airport in repayment for New York. But only if that happens. You aren't allowed on this trip if you're just bored."

Jongdae rolled his eyes and Baekhyun chuckled.

"Is that the big news then?" Baekhyun asked.

"Yep. That's it," Jongdae responded. He plopped the now empty ice cream container on the coffee table.

"Great. Now, help me pack," Baekhyun said, reaching over to grab Jongdae's wrist. He gently tugged Jongdae from his seated position and down the hallway to Baekhyun's room where a large suitcase on the bed greeted them.

  


London was almost exactly like Baekhyun had expected. The sky was blue some days, but most of the time it was raining. He had been in London for ten days now, and his trip was quickly coming to an end. Luckily, he had seen most of the sites on his list and today was no exception as Baekhyun planned to spend the rainy day inside the British Museum, which would check another off of his list.

His phone dinged and he looked at the directions he had pulled up on his phone. He had arrived at Montague Street and the entrance to the museum was just ahead. The tall, wrought iron fence that stood in front of him seemed a bit menacing, but the building the stood beyond it looked inviting. He closed the maps app on the phone and pulled up the camera, turning it on himself.

"Hey there followers!" He began. "It's day ten in London and today we're gonna check out the British Museum. Who's ready? I know I am!" He smiled for the camera and then hit the stop button. He quickly reviewed the footage and upon thinking it was fine, turned on the camera to take some video as he proceeded to enter the museum.

He followed the floors of each exhibit weaving through each of the display cases, stopping and reading the information cards if he thought they were interesting enough and when Baekhyun checked his watch again after looking at the Rosetta Stone, he realized that he had spent just over four hours in the museum. His stomach grumbled and he patted it.

"Ok," he said to himself quietly. "Food it is." He quickly shoved the few paper brochures he had gathered throughout his walk of the museum into his backpack and set out to find the nearest pub.

Upon discovering that none of the pubs immediately across the street from the museum were to his liking, Baekhyun wandered toward Russell Square. He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned the camera, recording the walk for his audience.

"I've been walking for the last five minutes or so through Russell Square. Trying to find food," he said, turning the camera on himself as he walked. "I'm hoping to just find a pub and grab some food. Maybe something extremely British, like fish and chips." He smiled at the camera and gave a thumbs up to the camera before turning it back around to take in the atmosphere and sights of London.  

"I've found it!" He said a few moments later. "It's even called 'The London Pub'! This is what I've been waiting for! Let's see what they have in store." He turned the camera around on himself briefly and flashed a 'V' sign to the audience.

  


The next time Baekhyun turned the camera on, he had scarfed down half of his fish and chips and most of his beer. He smiled at the camera before turning it on all his half eaten food. "Guys! The food is totally what I was looking for. Look at this! Look at this! Amazing!" Then, he turned the camera off and continued eating, satisfied that his latest video was turning out as well as it was.

"Well, would you look what we have here? It can't be Byun Baekhyun can it?" a familiar Korean voice said. It took Baekhyun a moment to place the voice, but the moment he turned around he smiled.

"Kyungsoo," Baekhyun said, bowing slightly. "What are you doing in London? Here sit, sit." He gestured to the empty seats in of him.

"I'm here for a concert. I take it you missed the big ads everywhere," Kyungsoo replied, taking the seat opposite Baekhyun. "What are you doing here?"

"Writing a travel vlog. Been here nearly a little over a week now. It's been really great. Don't you normally travel with--"

"Beer's here!" a voice approached from behind Baekhyun.

"Chanyeol?" Kyungsoo supplied. "Yes, he's right there." He pointed behind Baekhyun, but before Baekhyun could turn around to even see the man, he was at the table, missing Baekhyun's presence at the table entirely.

The tall man placed the beer in front of Kyungsoo. "It's the closest to what you wanted," Chanyeol said to Kyungsoo as he sat down next to him on the tiny man. "Who's your---"

"Hi," Baekhyun waved.

Chanyeol stared at him, his eyes wide and then quickly turned to Kyungsoo. "Did you know he'd be here?"

"Didn't have a clue. I was looking for a table and there Baekhyun sat," Kyungsoo responded, taking a sip of his beer. "I didn't think you'd mind."

"I don't...it's just--" Chanyeol trailed off.

"Just what?" Baekhyun said.

"I..nevermind," Chanyeol said, quickly taking a drink of his beer and looking away.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. "So, what have you done in London so far?"

"All the standard tourist things. The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Jack the Ripper tour, the London Eye, St. Paul's Cathedral, you know. Tomorrow I'm planning on taking a tour of the Globe," Baekhyun said. "I've only got one day left and then I head back home, so I'm trying to hit everything today and tomorrow."

"Didn't you want to the Globe while we were here Chanyeol?" Kyungsoo asked.

Chanyeol, who was staring a hole into his beer glass, looked up at him. "Hmm...what?"

"The Globe, Chanyeol. Didn't you want to see it while we were in town?"

"Oh yeah. I did want to see the Globe, but I don't know that your concert schedule would allow it. We've got a sound check and a quick press circuit on Thursday before the make-up call and then the concert. Friday we're up early for some morning talk shows and then it's sound check and--"

"And tomorrow, we've got nothing, right?" Kyungsoo interrupted.

Chanyeol hesitated. "Yes. Tomorrow's schedule is a free day. You're supposed to be relaxing and adjusting to the time zone difference. And I’m supposed to be--"

"Right," Kyungsoo said. "So, I won't need my manager hanging out around me. Why don't you go with Baekhyun to see the Globe."

"That would be great," Baekhyun said. "It'd be nice to have company. I've been traveling this whole trip alone, so I imagine talking to someone would be enjoyable."

"You promise you won't leave the hotel, right Kyungsoo?"

"I promise," Kyungsoo responded.

"Ok. Baekhyun, I would love to join you at the Globe tomorrow."

Baekhyun smiled. "Perfect!" He lifted his beer and tapped the glass against Chanyeol's and then Kyungsoo's before downing the last of his beer. "I look forward to it. Meet you there at 10 AM?"

"Ok. That sounds good," Chanyeol said.

Baekhyun smiled and his phone dinged. "And I should actually get going. I'm seeing "The Woman in Black" and I don't want to be to be late." He smiled and stood, giving the each a quick bow before sliding out from the table and disappearing from the pub.

  


Baekhyun tapped his foot and stared at his phone, glancing up discreetly so as not to draw too much attention to himself. It was 10:30 AM and Chanyeol still had not yet arrived. There had been no text. No phone call. Which honestly would have made Baekhyun angry except for the fact that he remembered leaving the pub last night before giving the man a way to get in touch with him. He rolled his eyes and opened a new text message.

'I think I'm being stood up,' he typed and then carefully sent the message to Jongdae.

His phone dinged almost immediately in response. 'He's coming. He's the manager to an international pop sensation. He'll be there. He's probably just running late.'

'Half an hour late?'

'Yes. God, you never were one for patience.'

Baekhyun grumbled. "Stupid Jongdae. Stupid Chanyeol."

"I'm sorry I'm stupid," a deep voice said behind him. He spun around to greet the man. Kyungsoo...nevermind..."

"Kyungsoo, what?"

Chanyeol sighed. "There were some things I needed to take care of at the hotel before I left for him. Super important. My apologies."

"Really? I would never have pegged him as the diva type to not do something on his own."

"You'd be right there. He tends to prefer to do something on his own when he can. Someone happened to leak what hotel he was staying in and he found himself mobbed by fans when he went to go for a quick run this morning. So, I had to spend an hour dealing with that mess. And that's why I'm late. I'm so sorry. Shall we go?"

Baekhyun smiled. "Of course, but first we've got to take some video."

"What?"

"You heard me," he said. He pulled out the selfie stick from his bag and placed his camera on the end, framing both himself, Chanyeol and a brief bit of the Globe in the frame. "On the count of three I'm gonna record and then we can head in for the tour."

"Ok."

"Great. One, two, three! Hey there followers! It's day eleven! That means it's almost the end of my trip! Today I'm checking out the Globe theater with my good friend, Chanyeol! Say hi, Chanyeol."

"Hi, Chanyeol."

Baekhyun looked over at the man next to him who was waving frantically at the camera. "Really?"

"What?"

"Nevermind. Anyway, we're gonna go through the tour and we'll give you a recap as I've done with everything afterward. Let's go!"

He turned the camera off, and removed his phone from the selfie stick. "Ok, so now we can go. I'm just gonna film some bits here and there for the video."

Baekhyun quickly turned on his heel and headed towards the entrance, but stopped and retreated when he realized Chanyeol hadn't moved.

"Everything ok?" Baekhyun asked.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry, the filming just threw me off. We can go," Chanyeol said. He gestured toward the entrance and began walking, Baekhyun following along.

"Oh sorry. I'm a travel blogger, so I video my trips to various places and I post them on YouTube. And then YouTube pays me."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Baekhyun nodded. "That's why I'm here, actually. I haven't actually posted a new travel video for a while..."

"Well, I'm glad to be part of it then," Chanyeol said, smiling. "Shall we?"

"Yes," Baekhyun replied. "Let's."

Baekhyun usually found these types of exhibits fascinating in their own right, but having Chanyeol nearby made them even more interesting. Chanyeol, as Baekhyun quickly reconfirmed when he began translating the exhibit plaques, was fluent in English. He found himself mesmerized by the man's deep voice as he read both the English placards posted next to each exhibit and then quickly translated it to Korean for Baekhyun to understand fully. And if for some reason, he didn't notice that three hours had passed and that he had been staring at Chanyeol's lips for the last hour, he certainly wasn't going to bring any attention to the fact.

As they rounded on the last part of the exhibit, the two decided that food was definitely needed and quickly found the Founders Arms a short walk away.

  


"So, you're his manager?" Baekhyun said, shoving another bite of banoffee pie into his mouth.

"Mostly, yes. Kyungsoo doesn't really need a manager, but the company insists on it. I travel with him on all of his tours to translate for him mostly. Very talented singer, but not fluent in everything. A little English, a little Chinese, a little Japanese here and there, but that's it. I take care of everything else."

"Well, I guess I should thank Kyungsoo for letting me borrow you then. He probably missed having you around," Baekhyun said, pushing the remainder of his pie around on his plate.

"I'm sure he's fine. He was spending the day mostly relaxing. I feel like he knows more than he lets on," Chanyeol said, smiling.

"Still...I'll definitely thank him when I see him next time. I had a really great time," Baekhyun said, pulling his lower lip into his mouth.

"I'm glad. I had a great time too," Chanyeol replied, followed by an awkward silence. He tapped his fingers on the table. "Oh! Did you do the end segment of your video?"

"No, I didn't. I should do that. Thanks for reminding me," Baekhyun smiled and pulled out his phone. He pointed it toward Chanyeol and hit the record button. "Did you have a good time, Chanyeol?"

"What? Me? It's your video...Uhhh...yeah? I did. The exhibits were really informative and it's great if you like Shakespeare, which I do. I really liked the one where we got to read lines from different plays as if we were the characters. I'm sure Baekhyun has some footage of us doing that. I hope he doesn't put it in the video. The exhibit on Iago was also great," he responded, sounding more natural as the conversation went on. "We had a great time. I recommend you check out the Globe if you're ever in London."

Baekhyun giggled and turned the camera back on himself. "And there you have it, viewers! My trip to the Globe with Chanyeol and his glowing review of the Globe. That's also pretty much the end of my London trip. I leave for home tomorrow and who knows where my next adventure will take me. So, I hope you enjoyed my journey and I'll see you next time!" He threw a V sign to the camera and turned it off.

"That's super cute," Chanyeol said, once he was sure Baekhyun was no longer recording.

Baekhyun smiled, averting his eyes down to the table. "Thanks," he said. "I should probably get back to my hotel to pack and you should probably get back to Kyungsoo."

"I'm sure Kyungsoo is fine--"

"I've got an early flight," Baekhyun continued, ignoring Chanyeol. He pulled out his wallet and placed some money on the table. "I really did have a great time. Look me up if you're ever in Seoul." He got up from the table and left, leaving Chanyeol alone at the table.

  


"You just left him at the table," Jongdae said, shaking his head. "You're an idiot. He was definitely going to take you back to his hotel. And now here you are gazing longingly at the video you have of him. Pathetic."

Baekhyun had returned from his London two days ago, exhausted and confused. He couldn’t get his thoughts away from Chanyeol no matter how hard he had tried. And to make matters worse, he had accidentally mentioned it to Jongdae in his sleepy state when Jongdae picked him up from the airport.

"Thank you for reminding me," Baekhyun responded, unhappy to relive the story for what felt like the twentieth time. But, he didn’t take his eyes off editing his video. "I...I...I had to go. I had things to pack and I wanted to get started on the write-up. I was there for my job, you know."

Jongdae rolled his eyes. "Did you at least get his number?"

"No," Baekhyun said, cutting down another piece of footage.

"Did you give him yours?"

"No."

"I don't know why I bothered asking," Jongdae buried his face in the pillows on the couch. "How much longer are you going to be? I'd like lunch soon!"

Ignoring Jongdae and his overreactions to something as simple as one date, if you could call it that, Baekhyun put the final touches on his video and uploaded it.

"Finished," Baekhyun said. He pushed away from his desk and turned to face Jongdae, sprawled on his bed.

"Great! Lunch! Let's go!" Jongdae bounced up, grabbing hold of Baekhyun and headed toward the door.

As they headed out the door, Baekhyun's phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket to find a text about a new comment on his video. 'I had a great time in London. Let's do it again sometime!' The comment from user real_pcy read. Baekhyun smiled and pocketed his phone. Perhaps he would take Chanyeol up on that offer.

  
  


### Tokyo, or Three Months After New York

"Will you just call him already?!" Jongdae yelled, not taking his eyes off the Mario Kart race he and Baekhyun had been playing in Baekhyun’s living room. (Joonmyeon had kicked them out of Jongdae and his apartment the moment the two began a screaming match.) "He gave you his number for a reason. Just send him a text message. Do something! I can't stand seeing you moping around like a lovesick puppy."

"What?" Baekhyun said, dropping his controller to the ground and allowing Jongdae to take the lead.

Jongdae's kart crashed over the finish line first and he smirked in victory. He placed the controller on the coffee table and turned to Baekhyun. "You heard me and don't pretend like you didn't. You've fallen in love with the man you met in London--"

"Chanyeol," Baekhyun interrupted.

"Right, Chanyeol--"

"And I didn't meet him in London. I met him again in London--"

"Right, first in New York and then London and then again when you were in Budapest. And again when you were in Paris and yet again when you were in Los Angeles. And yet, you still haven't called him. Are you just planning on running into him every time you travel somewhere?"

"That's not really what I had in mind, no."

"Then what's stopping you from pursuing this? You had a great time with him in London and you won't shut about the tour of the Louvre you did in Paris, or the cathedral tour in Vienna, or getting lunch at that sushi place in Los Angeles, or the time you spent at the baths with him in Budapest. You're practically dating him every time you travel anyway. I'm failing to see the problem here."

"I'm just--"

"Just what?"

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip and pushed himself off the couch, heading toward the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Jongdae called after him. "You aren't getting away that easily." He looked over his shoulder at Baekhyun standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, face buried in his hands.

"You're scared," Jongdae said, coming to stand next to Baekhyun. He ran his finger gently up Baekhyun's arm feeling the tension. "You don't want to get hurt again. That's what it is, isn't it?"

Baekhyun nodded as a small stream of tears ran down his face. "I just--"

"It's ok," Jongdae said, pulling Baekhyun into his arms. "It's ok. I don't think Chan...uhhh..."

"Chanyeol."

"Right, Chanyeol...I don't think he would want to hurt you. But, if you aren't ready, then I understand. It'll be ok. Whenever you're ready, I'm sure he'll be there waiting."

Baekhyun nodded, sobbing silently into Jongdae's shoulder.

  


Baekhyun stared up the building in front of him, shaking his head. He didn't remember why he looked up in the first place, but he certainly didn't regret the decision. "It's not possible. How on Earth?" he mumbled to himself. He chuckled. He had been in Tokyo for almost two weeks now and it was exactly as he remembered it from the first time he visited. The exception being the large flashy billboard in front of his that somehow he had managed to miss entirely. He must have been caught up in his own thoughts, and by "caught up in his own thoughts" he clearly meant staring down at the ground trying to puzzle out a potential relationship as he had been for the last several months.

Before him, in a hot pink shirt and tight black jeans, was Kyungsoo on a billboard in the center of Tokyo advertising the dates of his latest concert. September 14th through 18th...this weekend. How did he always seem to be in the same place as Kyungsoo and by default Chanyeol? He smirked. This trip was going to be more interesting than he expected.

He fiddled with the phone in his pocket and finally, after warring with himself and making a pro and con list as long as he was tall, he pulled out his cell phone and sent a text message. 'I hope to see you tonight!'

  


His plan was stupid and impulsive. He knew that and yet, Baekhyun couldn’t stop himself as he followed the directions on his phone. He came upon a large glass building and quickly began searching for backstage entrances. It took him at least fifteen minutes to find one, but he did. He also found the security guard charged to watch the door, probably to protect it from people doing just what Baekhyun had planned.

"But sir!" Baekhyun insisted, his Japanese broken, but still somewhat coherent. "I need to speak to Kyungsoo's manager! It's urgent."

"As I told you before, without a badge you are not allowed backstage," the security office repeated.

Baekhyun groaned, clenching his hands into fists in frustration. He had almost decided to abandon his plan to surprise Chanyeol, when lo and behold, Chanyeol's voice echoed through the small crack in the doors.

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun yelled, praying his voice would carry. "Chanyeol! Of for goodness sake, use those large ears and listen when someone is calling you name!" He exhaled, his entire body deflating as he gave up yelling.

"Thanks anyway," he said to the security guard. The guard said nothing, but Baekhyun could feel him rolling his eyes at Baekhyun’s stupidity.

He turned and headed back the way he came, toward the train that would inevitably take him back to his hotel room, when a voice caught his ear.

"So, you're just going to leave? You scream my name and then you leave?"

Baekhyun turned immediately to find Chanyeol sticking his head out of the backstage door, the security guard Baekhyun had harassed for at least the last half an hour looking even less pleased.

"That was the gist of the plan, yeah. I thought you didn't hear me," Baekhyun said, moving slowly back toward the stage door.

Chanyeol chuckled. "I almost didn't. Kyungsoo did."

"Of course he did." Baekhyun nodded. He tugged on his bottom lip with his teeth. "So, how is it that no matter where I go, I always find you?"

"I guess it's fate," Chanyeol replied. He stepped out from behind the door and moved toward Baekhyun. "Or maybe something making my wishes come true. What are you doing here?"

"I would ask you the same thing, but I clearly already know,” he said, gesturing to the concert hall. “ I, uh...I was supposed to take this really relaxing trip to Tokyo with my ex-boyfriend. I almost forgot about it until the airline emailed the reminder. Tickets were non-refundable at this point. I traded the two tickets in for one first class one. Best decision, by the way. And well, here I am."

"I see," he said, a smile pulling at his lips. He pulled out his phone to check the time and quickly replaced it into his pocket. "Hang on one second." Chanyeol dashed quickly back inside the stage door and returned holding a badge on a bright red lanyard.

"Come on," he said, putting it around Baekhyun's neck. "Kyungsoo will be thrilled to see you and I'd like to maybe grab dinner after the show if that's alright with you."

"That sounds great," Baekhyun replied. He grabbed hold of Chanyeol's hand and allowed himself to be led past the security guard, who rolled his eyes as they passed, and through the twisted bowels of the Tokyo International Forum.

"Kyungsoo's almost finished getting ready," Chanyeol said, as they approached the dressing room door. He knocked briefly before opening the door, not waiting for a response from its occupant.

"I should have known it was you," Kyungsoo said, closing the book he was reading. "And I see you found a friend."

Chanyeol blushed and Baekhyun snickered.

"Yes," Chanyeol replied. "We've found each other once again. It's like he's always on tour with us."

"Yes, strange that," Kyungsoo said. He rolled his eyes and picked his book back up, thumbing to the place where he had left off. "Now, if you'll excuse me. Not to be rude Baekhyun, but I have to finish getting ready."

"Of course, I'll leave you to it," Chanyeol responded. He reached for Baekhyun's hand, lacing their fingers together, and led him out of the room. The door softly clicking shut behind them.

"I should probably go. The shows gonna--" Baekhyun began.

"I want to see you after the show," Chanyeol interrupted. He took their twined hands and began rubbing small circles on the back of Baekhyun's hand. "You should stay for the show. That pass will get you in anywhere. Watch it from the VIP section."

"Umm..."

"Meet me back here after the show, ok?"

"...ok."

"Great!" Chanyeol said, placing a small kiss on the back of Baekhyun's hand. "I'll see you after the show."

Then, Baekhyun follower as he guided them to the stage right wing. Baekhyun stood back, taking in all of the lights and technical equipment and the realization hit him as to where he was exactly. He tried to peek around the curtains to get a glimpse of the audience but found he was unsuccessful. Once Chanyeol was finished talking, one of the technicians nodded.

“You’re going to follow Ku here. He’s gonna show you to the VIP box,” Chanyeol said, his smile radiating.

“Ok,” Baekhyun replied. “I’ll see you after the show, then.”

Baekhyun followed the man briskly through the hallways, flashbacks to similar walks before Sehun's concerts filling his mind. He shook the thoughts free of Sehun and his past. Chanyeol seemed overjoyed that Baekhyun had surprised him and showed up in Tokyo, he reminded himself as aimless followed the man, and he would see Chanyeol after the show.

  


Baekhyun winced slightly as his head bumped the wall immediately behind his hotel room door. He groaned at the pain but relished in the kisses Chanyeol was peppering down the side of his neck. He dug one of his hands into Chanyeol's hair and slid the other down his back and under his feeling the warm skin beneath.

"This...isn't...exactly...what...I thought...you...meant...by dinner..." Baekhyun said, words punctuated by harsh breath.

He felt Chanyeol smile in between kisses. "It's not exactly what I had in mind either, but when you kissed me after the show, this was all I could think about," he huffed out. "Is that ok?"

"Yes," Baekhyun responded. He pulled Chanyeol's head up to look at his own eyes, searching briefly for confirmation, before mashing their lips together.

Seamlessly, he felt Chanyeol slip his arms around his neck and upper back. Baekhyun leaned into the touch and then gave a little jump to wrap his legs around Chanyeol's waist, his hands coming to rest around Chanyeol’s neck. Once balanced, they slowly made their way to the bed. Chanyeol lowered Baekhyun down to the edge of the bed, but Baekhyun didn’t let him pull away. He pulled Chanyeol on top of him, not breaking their frantic kissing.

Baekhyun broke the kiss first, pulling away to slide himself further up the bed, beckoning the other to follow. Once situated near the headboard, he pulled Chanyeol down for another kiss, before grabbing hold of his shirt.

"This needs to come off," he said, voice ragged. He almost didn't recognize himself. He gave the shirt a tug and Chanyeol raised his arms, so it could be pulled free. Upon the sight of skin, Baekhyun's hands immediately returned to slowly caressing their way up Chanyeol’s body.

"I think this needs to go as well," Chanyeol said, reaching for Baekhyun's shirt. "And these." He gestured toward his pants. Baekhyun smiled and pulled his own shirt over his head, discarding it carelessly on the floor.

They quickly rid each other of the rest of their clothing and found themselves tangling their naked bodies together within moments of Chanyeol's last sock being dropped to the floor. He let Chanyeol take the lead, slowly resuming the kissing they had left off with, and letting Chanyeol's hand quickly find his half-hard cock.

Baekhyun shuddered as the other man ran his hand up and down the length, finally giving him what he had hoped for. "Yes," he breathed, throwing his head back into the pillow. He bit his bottom lip, trying to quiet another moan, but the pace and pressure increased.

"If you want to fuck me, you should get on with it. Otherwise, I'm going to finish without you," Baekhyun moaned.

Chanyeol chuckled. "Guess I should get on with it then," he breathed, his hand slowing on Baekhyun's cock.

"I've got condoms and lube in my suitcase," Baekhyun whispered. “Top zippered pocket.”

"Always prepared," Chanyeol replied, leaving the bed for a brief moment.

"I always keep them packed when I travel. You never know." Baekhyun flopped over onto his stomach. A chill made its way down his spine when Chanyeol returned, running his fingers from Baekhyun's ass all the way to the top of his spine.

"You're beautiful," Chanyeol said, popping the cap of the lube open and coating his fingers. He slid his hand between Baekhyun's legs and slowly began working his way around the tight ring of muscle. Working his fingers in and out until Baekhyun was properly stretched, Baekhyun felt himself sinking into the sheets, waves of pleasure washing over him even more intense than before.

The feeling stopped for a brief moment, long enough for Baekhyun to notice, but it was quickly replaced as Chanyeol aligned himself and began to enter him. He felt himself slowly stretch to accommodate Chanyeol's cock as Chanyeol carefully edged himself further; a hot burning feeling that made Baekhyun groan.

"You feel amazing," Chanyeol said, his hips becoming flush against Baekhyun's ass.

Baekhyun hummed in agreement. "Thank you. Now, move, please."

Chanyeol groaned, the sound making Baekhyun’s already hard cock stiffen to an almost painful edge. The pressure ebbed slightly as Chanyeol pulled his hips back, but returned quickly as he snapped them forward again, thrusting in as smoothly as possible. They fell into an easy rhythm, moving in tandem with one another.

”I’m not going to last much longer,” Chanyeol choked out after what felt like ages, but was probably only fifteen minutes at most, his hip movements becoming more frantic.

“It’s ok. I’m...I’m going...to come,” Baekhyun moaned, his body becoming stiff. His vision blurred, flashing white and he felt as ribbons of cum coated the sheets underneath him.

Chanyeol continued to thrust into him for a few more moments before he quickly followed, pulling Baekhyun close.

They laid together, still connected for long moments before one of them spoke. “That was,” Baekhyun said, his brain refusing to make complete sentences.

Chanyeol chuckled. “I agree. I agree.”

They pulled apart, and after Chanyeol had removed the condom and cleaned them up with a wet cloth he found in the bathroom, they cuddled themselves together under the duvet. Their breathing synchronizing.

"I hope to see you again after this," Chanyeol said, running his hands through Baekhyun's hair.

"Me too," Baekhyun replied. "Me...too..."

Baekhyun could feel Chanyeol smiled as he cuddled up against his back. This was not how he had expected his trip to Tokyo to go, but he couldn’t have asked for anything better.

  
  


### New York, Again, Or Three Months and Two Weeks After New York the First Time

Baekhyun stumbled through the stark white airport that if he were honest looked like a giant airplane hangar, his suitcase trailing behind him. He hadn't slept for the last thirty-six hours and it was finally beginning to catch up with him.

The trip to New York had come up rather suddenly. He had only been back in Seoul from his Tokyo trip for two weeks when he got the call about speaking at a convention. Baekhyun had been so flattered, he didn’t even think twice before packing his bags and hopping a flight.

New York was different this time. The air around the airport was different. The last time Baekhyun had wandered through JFK, he had been excited about exploring, now he was still excited, but in a much more restrained way.

He blinked his eyes slowly, trying his best to keep them open when his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He quickly searched every available pocket, finding it of course in the very last one he checked, and swiped the screen.

"Hello," he said.

"Oh good you landed and didn't die," the voice on the other end replied.

"No Jongdae, I didn't die. I just landed and got off the plane. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get off the phone and get to my hotel. This call is probably costing me a fortune. Goodbye Jongdae."

"Right. I just wanted to make sure you got there safely. Enjoy the city. Bring me back something cool!"

"No chance! Goodbye, Jongdae," he said, hitting the end button rather abruptly. Baekhyun rolled his eyes as he slid the phone back into his pocket.

His carry-on still rolling behind him, he made his way through customs and toward the taxi line outside of the airport. He was only in New York for five days and three of them were dedicated to attending the conference with other bloggers, so he hadn't packed a lot of unnecessary baggage, even though Jongdae had insisted upon it.

"I didn't think I'd find you here," a deep voice said from behind him, pulling him from his mental checklist.

Dark hair and dark eyes connected the voice to a name instantly. "Chanyeol?" Baekhyun said, his eyes twice their normal size. He turned to find Chanyeol behind him, clad in a black sweater and loose fitted jeans. Baekhyun found it difficult to resist himself from jumping the man upon first glance.

Chanyeol smiled. "Hi, Baekhyun. It's been a few weeks hasn't it?"

"I must...I must be dreaming...this is a super weird coincidence," Baekhyun said, stumbling over every word in the process.

"Yeah, I would say so. What are you in town for?"

"Blogging conference. I have a talk to give on how I manage to afford all the traveling I do," he responded. "Does Kyungsoo have a concert?"

"Yes, I do," Kyungsoo said, making his way over to Chanyeol. "But, I needed to see Sehun first, so we flew in a little early."

Baekhyun flinched at the mention of Sehun's name. "I see," he responded.

"Sorry, I know you don't like him, but he is a friend of mine and he's been helping me with a rather delicate matchmaking project."

"Oh," Baekhyun said, lowering his head to stare at his shoes.

Kyungsoo looked between Chanyeol and Baekhyun and rolled his eyes. "You two are ridiculous. Just say something to each other for goodness sake! Whatever. I'm going to get a coffee." He sighed and turned, heading for the coffee stand a few feet away.

They both chuckled, a blush radiating across both of their faces, both at Kyungsoo's exasperation and embarrassment. Baekhyun buried his face in his hands before a pair hands pulled them away.

"So...Would you like to get dinner later? I've got some free time while Kyungsoo is at Sehun's." Chanyeol asked, not letting Baekhyun's go.

"Of course I would," Baekhyun replied immediately.

"Great," Chanyeol said. "I'll pick you up at--"

Baekhyun's text message sound interrupted and he cringed as he pulled his hand from Chanyeol's and pulled the foul object from his pocket. He opened the message. 'Enjoy your date.' The message from Sehun read and Baekhyun chuckled .

"What?" Chanyeol said.

"Nothing," Baekhyun replied. "You were saying. You'll pick me up when?"

"At eight at your hotel. Just give me the address," Chanyeol replied.

"That sounds good to me," Baekhyun replied. "I'll text you the address."

"Great! I'll see you later then."

"Are you two all set then?" Kyungsoo asked, appearing behind them with very little warning, coffee in hand.

"Yeah," Baekhyun said. "I think we are. Tell Sehun 'thank you' for me when you see him."

Kyungsoo nodded. "I will. He's been instrumental in my project."

"I'm sure," Baekhyun replied. "And I couldn't be more thankful."


End file.
